Hajj season starts with nearly 2 mn pilgrims
Riyadh, Aug 19 : The Hajj season started on Sunday with the Day of Tarwiyah, the first ritual of the holy pilgrimage, in Mina, a neighbourhood of the Islamic city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, with 1,966,461 pilgrims.
The General Authority for Statistics announced the figure on Saudi Press Agency, with the total number of pilgrims to be announced on the evening of Arafat Day -- the most important Hajj ritual -- on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.
To ensure the safety of pilgrims, a comprehensive security and safety plan has been set up to transport people between ritual sites.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced another plan to protect the well-being of pilgrims with the allocations of 25 hospitals and 155 health centres at all sites with a capacity of 5,000 beds, 180 ambulances and 100 vehicles which were converted into ICU mobile units.
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Sand sculpture urging people to vote attracts visitors to Ullal beach
Ullal: A sand sculpture illustrating the significance of elections and the importance of voters exercising their right to franchise was created on Ullal beach recently, during an event jointly organized by the Ullal Taluk Panchayat, Ullal City Municipality, Kotekar Town Panchayat, and Someshwara Town Municipality.
The art event, themed on elections and carrying the slogan 'Election: The Pride of the Nation', was inaugurated by Dakshina Kannada District SVEEP Committee President and Zilla Panchayat CEO, Dr. Anand K. He commenced the event by releasing a balloon into the air.
Addressing the gathering, the SVEEP officer reminded all voters present on Ullal beach to cast their votes without fail on April 26. He added that the committee had organized a variety of programs to encourage voters to exercise their right to franchise during the ongoing general elections, with the sand art event being an innovative way to spread the message.
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Attendees of the event enthusiastically chanted the election slogan of the SVEEP Committee, which was announced by the Director of the Janashikshana Trust, Sheena Shetty, and Krishnappa Moolya. A display of the folk art, Dudi, was also organized on the occasion. The sand sculpture on the election attracted the attention of other visitors to Ullal beach.
SVEEP Master Trainer Sacheth Kumar Suvarna served as the Master of Ceremony, and Assistant Director Ramesh Nayak proposed the Vote of Thanks.
Among the dignitaries present during the event were Ullal Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Shaila K Karigi, Municipal Councillor of Ullal City Municipality Raghavendra, Kotekar Town Panchayat Chief Officer Anand Seregoppa, Someshwara Town Municipality Chief Officer Raju, SVEEP Master Trainer Sharanya Shetty, and other officials.
